Stamping tool



Feb. 22, 1938. w. J. KOL-STAD 2,109,253

STAMPING TOOL Filed Dec. 8, 1936 W A, 25 Q i 4 a w #16 ATTORN EY Patented Feb. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE STAMPING TOOL Welding Johan Kolstad, Hyde Park, Mass.

Application December 8, 1936, Serial No. 114,790

8 Claims.

This invention relates to a stamping tool for use in stamping characters in metal and other materials.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel and highly useful stamping tool of the character specified which is durable and capable of withstanding severe usage over long periods of time and which may be manufactured in a simple, economical manner.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel stamp holder capable of holding a series of individual stamping members and of forming an improved stamping tool capable of most efficient and practical operation.

With these general objects in view, and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the stamping tool, in the stamp holder, and in the various other structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a stamp holder embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the complete stamping tool ready for use.

In general, the invention contemplates a stamping tool comprising a plurality of individual stamping members which are removably held in a novel stamp holder. The improved stamping tool finds particular use in manufacturing plants as a tool room stamp, as a serial number stamp, as an identification stamp, and in fact for stamping characters of all kinds in unhardened metal and other materials. Provision is made for holding the individual stamp members in operative position in the stamp holder by novel and improved mechanism adapted to permit the stamping tool to withstand severe use with minimum liability of damage or breakage. of the stamp holding mechanism or other parts of the tool.

Referring now to the drawing, the illustrated stamping tool comprises a body portion H] provided with a slot 12 cut in the lower end thereof for the reception of one or more individual and preferably metal stamp members I. Provision is made for clamping the stamp members to hold them in operative position within the slot and for this purpose a pair of clamping fingers l5 having curved ends l8 are urged into clamping engagement with the sides of the outermoststamp members to retain the row of stamp members within the slot. It will be understood that the stamp members are of a size to slidingly but closely fit the slot and a spring l9 extending through a hole in the body portion l5, and secured thereto by a pin 20, serves to hold the clamping fingers It in yielding engagement with the stamp members to efiiciently hold the latter in operating position.

As herein shown, the clamping fingers l6 are each pivotally but loosely mounted within forked members 2| and the latter are provided with fastening pins -22 for preventing lateral displacement of the fingers. The fingers I6 are each provided with lugs 24 adapted to limit the vertical movement of the fingers with relation to the forked members 2|.

In order to hold the forked members 2! in operative position with relation to the body portion ill of the tool, the latter is bored laterally and a coil spring 26 preferably of tempered steel wire is driven through the hole in close fitting relation thereto. Each forked member 2| is provided with a reduced portion 28 which is threaded and arranged to screw into the interior of one end of the spring 26, in the manner illustrated in Fig. l and as a result of this construction, each clamping finger I6 is flexibly connected to the body of the stamping tool so that blows upon the head 30 of the stamping tool are cushioned in their transmission to the individual clamping members It and minimum breakage of these parts occurs during use of the tool over long periods of time. The lugs 24 upon the clamping fingers i5 are preferably spaced to permit the fingers 16 to not only pivot about the rounded bottom 3'! of the forked member but also to move vertically therethrough to the end that the stamp engaging ends or bent ends of the fingers i6 may be withdrawn from the ends of the slotted portion of the body portion of the tool with substantially straight line motion.

From the description thus far it will be observed that the present stamping tool comprising the elongated body portion of the individual stamping members mounted in one end thereof, may be conveniently used to stamp all kinds of characters in any desired unhardened material, such as unhardened metal. The individual stamping members may be quickly detached from the stamp holder and replaced to enable variation to be made in the characters being stamped on any particular material. An important feature of the present invention resides in the resilient connection between the clamping members, herein shown as comprising the clamping fingers l6, and the body portion so that in the continued use of the stamp, the heavy blows which are directed against the end of the stamp are cushioned sufficiently in their transmission to the clamping members so that breakage of the clamping members and their connecting parts is avoided. Another important feature of the invention resides in the ability of the clamping members to accurately center a plurality or row of the individually detachable stamps with respect to the body portion of the stamp holder so that in the use of the stamp, the blows imparted to the head of the stamp are utilized most effectively to perform the stamping operation.

While the preferred embodiment of the inven tion has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what claimed is:

1. A stamp holder for the .purpose specified having a body portion provided-at one end with a slot for the reception of a, plurality of stamping members, clamping means for holding the stamp members in the slot and a resilient mounting for securing the clamping means to the body portion.

2. A stamp holder for the purpose specified having a body portion provided at one end with a slot for the reception of a plurality of stamping members, clamping means for holding the stamp members in the slot and a coil spring for resiliently mounting the clamping means upon the body portion.

3. A stamp holder for the purpose specified having a body portion provided at one end with a slot for the reception of a plurality of stamp members, a pair of fingers for engaging the endmost stamp members to hold the stamp members in said slot and resilient means for operatively mounting said fingers upon the body portion.

4. A stamp holder for the purpose specified having a body portion provided at one end with a. slot for the reception of a plurality of stamp members, a pair of fingers for engaging the endmost stamp members to hold the stamp members 45 in said slot and resilient means for operatively through the body portion and operatively connected with the fingers.

5. A stamp holder for the purpose specified having a body portion provided at one end with a slot for the reception of a plurality of stamp members, a pair of fingers for engaging the endmost stamp members to hold the stamp members in said slot and resilient means for operatively mounting said fingers upon the body portion, said means including a coil spring extending through the body portion, slotted members secured to the opposite ends of the spring and through which said fingers are slidably extended and means for limiting the relative movement of the fingers and said slotted members.

6. A stamp holder for the purpose specified having a body portion provided at one end with a slot for the reception of a plurality of stamp members, a pair of fingers for engaging the endmost stamp members to hold the stamp members in said slot and resilient means for operatively mounting said fingers upon the body portion, said means including a coil spring extending through the body portion, slotted members secured to the opposite ends of the spring and through which said fingers are slidably extended and means for limiting the relative movement of the fingers and said slotted members both vertically and laterally.

7. The combination with an elongated stamp body portion of a plurality of stamp members detachably mounted in one end thereof, means for clamping the stamp members in operative relation to the body portion and a resilient connection for mounting said clamping means upon the body portion.

8. The combination with an elongated stamp body portion of a plurality of stamping members detachably mounted in one end thereof and capable of movement laterally thereof, means for clamping the stamping members to the body portion and a shock absorbing resilient means for mounting the clamping means upon the body portion, said clamping means being constructed and arranged to center the stamping members with relation to the body portion.

WELDING JOHAN KOLSTAD. 

